How to Feel Happy when Christmas Is Over

Co-authored by Kamila Tan

Last Updated: November 22, 2022 References

Christmas season is filled with excitement and fun. Families come together to celebrate and exchange gifts, and decorations change the landscape of cities and towns. Once the holiday is over, however, the lack of excitement can leave you feeling down. Get back into a good mood by being thankful for your good times, planning for the next holiday or picking up a new hobby.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Being Thankful

1
Reflect on the holiday. When you feel sad that the holiday is over, cheer yourself up by thinking about all of the good times that you had. There are bound to be a lot of great memories from the holiday, so focus on those when you feel upset.
- Go through photographs from the holiday. If you're from a family that takes a lot of photographs or videos of family gatherings, look through some of them if you're feeling low after the holidays. They'll be a great reminder of all of the fun you had.
- Talk to the people you celebrated with. It's never to early to begin reminiscing. Speak with your friends and family members that celebrated with you and talk about the good times at Christmas. They're bound to be able to cheer you up with a funny story from the holiday.
- Be aware of the joy that Christmas brought you, in the form of the people you got to see then and the things you were given, so that you can access blissful emotions such as gratitude and empowerment.
2
Get excited about your gifts. While gifts aren't the only good thing about the holidays, they can make make you happy when you're sad about the holiday ending. Play with toys or gadgets, read books, and make use of all of the gifts you've been given. They'll be a welcome distraction.

Advertisement
3
Spend your Christmas money. If you received money or gift cards, go out and treat yourself. You'll be cheered up by new purchases, and you may be able to forget that the holiday is over. Go out to eat or visit stores for a good distraction.^{[1]
X
Research source}
4
Write thank you notes. Send messages to the people who got you gifts and thank them for a great holiday. Not only will you be doing a good deed, but you'll be recalling memories of the times that made you happy. Use the notes to talk about how much you enjoyed the holidays, and how you can't wait to spend time together next year.^{[2]
X
Research source}

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Planning for the Next Holiday

1
Replace decorations. Decorations are one of the best parts of Christmas, but if you leave them up, it may make you even more sad that the holiday is over. Even worse, the empty walls left behind by decorations you've stored may make you feel even more sad. Find creative ways to redecorate your house now that the holiday is over.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- Buy some plants. Greenery will spruce up your home, and you'll be able to care for the plants throughout the coming spring.
- Buy a new poster or painting. Large Christmas decorations like wreaths or wall-hangings can be replaced with a new poster or painting. Look for something colorful and exciting to accent your home. With a new piece of art where your decorations were, you may not even notice that your wreath is gone.
- Put up pictures from Christmas. Replace some of your Christmas decorations with photos from the holiday. You'll have a reminder of the good times to replace the actual decorations.
- Decorate for winter. Winter can be a beautiful time of year if you learn to appreciate it. Decorate your home for the season with a lot of white items, vases accented with twigs, snowflake decorations and evergreen sprigs.^{[4]
  X
  Research source}
2
Plan for New Year's. Christmas may be over, but New Years is right around the corner. Plan a New Years party to get into the spirit of a different holiday. Invite any family and friends that visited for Christmas and you'll get to spend more time with them.^{[5]
X
Research source}
3
Plan for next Christmas. While it may seem a little early to be get ready for another Christmas, it may be helpful to think about what your next Christmas will be like. Make some invitations, and plan what gifts you will give to others. Your plans might change throughout the course of the year, but you'll be able to make your plans into a good distraction.^{[6]
X
Research source}

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Picking up a New Hobby

1
Exercise. Exercising will put you in a much better mood and help you burn off some of the extra Christmas-food calories. Go for a jog, lift weights or play a sport with some friends. If you live in a cold climate, January might be too chilly for much outdoor activity, so look into a gym membership or indoor sports leagues.^{[7]
X
Research source}
2
Start a new hobby. If you've received any hobby-oriented Christmas gifts like paints, kitchen utensils or a new video game, put them to use. Throwing yourself into a new hobby and learning a new skill will help take your mind off of your sadness.^{[8]
X
Research source}
3
Volunteer. Volunteering can help you keep your Christmas spirit alive as you help those in need. Look into helping out local soup kitchens, shelters or charities that distribute winter clothes. You'll be able to help others through the winter and take your mind off of the end of the Christmas season.
4
Try to keep a positive attitude. While it may be depressing that Christmas is over, always try to keep up a good attitude. Remember that this Christmas isn't the last one you'll ever have, and focus on things that make you happy as much as possible.
- It may be especially hard to keep a positive attitude if you have to go back to work. However, think of your return to work as a blank slate and new beginning. Remind yourself that you can start back to work at a slow pace and catch up on your own time.^{[9]
  X
  Research source}

Community Q&A

Question

When should I wear makeup?

Community Answer

It's up to you! You can choose when you want to wear makeup. If you have blemishes or acne and are self-conscious about it, you might want to try concealer. Or if you want to mattify your oily face, try a matte powder. But don't just wear makeup because everyone else is wearing it -- wear it because it makes you feel confident.
Question

What do I do when I want to go home? I hate how the day drags on.

Community Answer

Tell people that you've had a lovely time, that the meal was fantastic and the gifts wonderful, but you're feeling tired now and need to return home. If they insist you stay, let them know you feel a little unwell -- after all, feeling overwhelmed or frustrated is liable to lead you to having a headache or tension, so it's fair enough to insist on your privacy in turn. Not everyone loves the whole day of festivities.
Question

Why is January also boring?

Community Answer

This is entirely subjective -- it's boring because you choose it to be so. It may depend on where you live, and if it's all snow and no sun, you may have seasonal affective disorder or just feel cooped in. Move to Australia and it'll be the best month of your life.

Warnings

If things get too bad, or you are worried that you have clinical depression, talk to your doctor or a therapist. They may be able to help you through your problems. Do not ignore symptoms of serious depression, as they can become dangerous if untreated.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 8 Not Helpful 2